In its European premiere production at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Funk It Up About Nothin' recently garnered a rave critical reception following its world premiere engagement at Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST). At the Festival Fringe, the production was hailed as "rambunctious and propulsive" by The Guardian, and given "5 stars!" by Time Out London. This new "ad-rap-tation" of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is created and directed by The Q Brothers, GQ and JQ, co-creators of the international success The Bomb-itty of Errors (Fringe Stage Award-Best Ensemble, 2002) and the MTV cult classic, Scratch and Burn. The Q Brothers also star in this exuberant hip-hop extravaganza-Shakespeare's romantic comedy rapped to the rhythm of six MCs and a live DJ. Performances are scheduled through August 24, 2008, at the University of Edinburgh's Musical Theatre @ George Square festival in George 4.
Born and raised in Chicago, the Q Brothers started their professional careers by co-creating and performing in the international hit, The Bomb-itty of Errors, which made a considerable splash in its Off Broadway debut (2000). At the Fringe (2002), the show sold out for nearly its entire run. "[The Bomb-itty] pulses with wit, savvy and a sublime sense of its own ridiculousness," wrote The Telegraph. The Guardian crowned it "the smash hit of the Edinburgh Fringe."
GQ and JQ have now committed themselves to translating the complete works of William Shakespeare into the hip-hop idiom. "Hip-hop flips words, and the rules of language, head over heels, and that's what Shakespeare was doing," GQ says. "The more variations of these plays, the better, the fresher." Over the past year, the Q Brothers have collaborated with CST's creative team to transform Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing into Funk It Up About Nothin', the next installment in the hip-hop Shakespeare canon. They add, "Our goal is to put Shakespeare in the hands of everyone, from profs to pimps to punks to poets. If the hip-hop heads leave with a deeper appreciation of Shakespeare, and the Bardophiles find some love for rap, and everybody laughs, then our mission is complete."
Funk It Up About Nothin' contains adult language and is recommended for mature audiences.
Performances: Now through August 24, 17:15, Venue 37, Musical Theatre @ George Square. Tickets are £9.50(£8.50) Monday - Thursday and £11.00(£10.00) Friday - Sunday. Run time is 65 minutes. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 0131.662.8740. For more information visit Chicago Shakespeare Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com/funkitup.
